For the Love of Beauty ... with a ♥ for cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, haircare & fashion

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Revlon Global Artistic Director, Gucci Westman, paired bold smoky eyes with luminous skin to complement KaufmanFranco's Fall 2013 Collection. What I love about this look is that anyone can wear this. It's adaptable for everyday wear and not just runway-artistic. Details from backstage at KaufmanFranco:

“I was inspired by Brigitte Bardot, and classic Parisian women from the 60’s, so this look is all about the eyes. ,” says Westman. “I combined smoky grey shadows with ultra heavy black liner and piled on extra lashes for a mysterious and sultry look. To contrast with the gritty texture on the eyes, I kept the girls skin soft and pretty and gave their lips a natural flush.”

Monday, February 11, 2013

This phrasing comes to mind when thinking about the incredible creations of Passion Savon. I found this delicious hand crafted soap company via facebook and have been a devout fan and client ever since. Founder and creator Nia Hafsia wasn't kidding when she called her company "Soap Passion," as she very definitely exudes an incredible passion for her business, for the gorgeous products she makes and really just for life in general. I have fallen in love with Nia and her exquisite bars.

The mill in France

Passion Savon is based in Bergerec, France. The soaps are created on site at Nia's and husband Karim's charming french mill. There, they have an atelier where the two work together to produce what I consider to be soapy masterpieces. Oh to be a fly on the wall inside that atelier ... divine aromas wafting through the air, multitudes of color strewn all throughout the space, and free-spirited energy weaving through every molecule of the oils, homegrown fruits, botanicals, and gorgeous ingredients that through Nia's direction culminate in inspired works of art.

Nia in her atelier

Nia, with her creative ability and aromatherapy skills has been making soap and toiletries for over 25 years. It all started in Wales (UK), while pregnant with her second child (Dafydd) and “bored” Nia decided to take an aromatherapy course and study the art of understanding and blending essential oils and instantly had a natural aptitude for this wonderful therapy. She started experimenting with natural ingredients to create unique and special recipes and replaced the chemicals normally used in most personal care products with effective, natural materials. With four young children (sons Gruff, Trystan, Dafydd and daughter Tirion --- you come to "meet" all of them through Nia's facebook page and realize the love she has for her family is even more expansive than that for her soaps!), Nia sold her first soap company to devote time to her children and her opera singing. Later, Nia moved to France in September 2007, where she met and fell in love with a Frenchman (Karim). The two are happily married and settled in Bergerac where they create luxury soaps, natural skincare products and blend essential oils.

Nia and her daughter Tirion ... beautiful women

Now, I literally could go on and on about Nia, her beautiful family, her extraordinary talent for creating soap (truly more talent than any one person has any right to embody ... lol), as well as her exquisite bars of soap ... the smells, the colors, the swirls, the gorgeous ingredients, but it's probably better I let you discover Passion Savon the way I did initially .... through Nia's photos and descriptions.

Would encourage you to click images to enlarge to see better detail.

French Lavender: this extraordinary essential oil soap has so many therapeutic qualities.Passion Savon uses a high altitude Lavender (which is a superior quality) and this essential oil is famous for its ability to lower anxiety, calm and lessen stress. For the skin it is valuable for its healing properties and ability to promote the growth of new skin cells. It has a balancing effect on sebum (the oily secretions of the sebaceous glands that moisturises and protects) therefore making it suitable for all skin types, even the most fragile, sensitive and delicate. It is also said to have a healing effect on minor burns, boils, acne, eczema, psoriasis and fungal growths. Suitable for all skin types, even sensitive.

Chestnut and Chocolate Torte: Nia describes this as her most extravagant soap and sooooo good for your skin. Superfatted with organic cocoa butter, natural vanilla seeds, double cream, honey, coffee liqueur, dark chocolate and the "pièce de résistance" are the chestnuts. Called Chestnut and Chocolate Torte, it will send your head spinning, smells divine and the lather is like silky satin.

Kiwi and Lime: The zesty, refreshing blend of 100% natural essential oils are de-toxifying, cleansing, astringent, perfect for normal, oily and combination skin types. You can really see the colours, the black charcoal almost has dark blue indigo tints in it mixed with shimmery green mica. With fresh, juicy, spicy and zesty citrus fruity essential oils. The natural fragrance of this soap bar has the true aroma of fresh Limes with refreshing and cleansing organic Green Tea. This tea has great therapeutic benefits, containing potent anti-oxidants called Catechins. The outcome of several experimental studies suggests that Green Tea has anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic potential, which can be exploited against a variety of skin disorders. Lime essential oils is gently astringent and toning for the skin. Nia also uses whole Kiwi fruit from a friend's garden in the soap, the peel and pulp with its tiny seeds, adds to the texture and lather. Kiwi fruit is packed with more vitamin C than an equivalent amount of orange. It also has strong antioxidant protective properties, keeping the skin healthy and energized.

Blackberry Passion: Described as her most complicated soap, it has nine colours. Blackberry Passion smells like a true fine fragrance of the highest quality, but a clever in-house blend of completely natural essential oils achieve an incredible aroma. Gorgeous!

La Mer: One of their most popular bars for men is La Mer, a sexy, seductive blend of herbs, spices and zesty fruits that women fall in love with too. Look at the textured surface of the freshly poured soap (left) which represents la mer, the sea in French.

Strawberries & Champagne: What is more festive and special than strawberries and champagne and here it is in a completely 100% natural soap with inclusion of fresh strawberries and French champagne. The ultimate top luxe presant for somebody special. 100% natural soap with extra virgin olive oil, coconut, shea butter, sunflower oil and castor oil with essential oils. Handmade cold process without chemicals. No palm oil! One of their most popular soaps ... yes, can see why : ).

Kaleidosoap: Limited edition previously, but now part of the standard range as it is so popular. Green aromas of pine, with fruity mandarin, cedarwood and a few spices thrown in with juicy cranberries, gorgeous. I completely fell in love with at Christmas. The aroma and shimmery micas make this bar extraordinary. I couldn't get enough of it ... truly.

If you have a penchant for artisan soaps, a desire to pamper your skin with the most lovingly created bars of nourishing oils, therapeutic botanicals and fresh fruits, or want to experience first hand a work of masterful art in all its beautiful glory, you must treat yourself to a bar or several of Passion Savon's exquisite soaps. For the price (extremely reasonable, including the international shipping), you truly will not find a more decadent way to experience french luxury. By the way, my two faves? Vanilla Bourbon Pomegranate ... oh. my. gosh!, and Kiwi Lime ... lively and scrumptious. Enjoy! xo

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Many a beauty junkie knows the benefits of the well curated beauty test tube. The idea of being able to try a number of deluxe and travel size beauty samples for a nominal cost is very appealing. One of my personal faves is the NewBeauty Test Tubes available through QVC. Here I know I'm not only getting the sample goodies and the fantastic NewBeauty magazine (a coveted treasure chest on all things beauty), but also the convenience of product availability through QVC. With this often comes multiple payment options (easy pay, value pay ... what have you) and the security of knowing the item will be refunded if it doesn't work out and is returned. The only downside, as I've experienced it, is keeping the sample options fresh .... and by fresh I mean unique and diverse. Inevitably, we're going to find a WEN Conditioning Cleanser, a Mally product, and somebody's lipgloss (tarte, Mally, etc) in the tube. Now for me, this is ok as I happen to use WEN conditioning cleansers exclusively on my hair, have found Mally items to be high quality and effective and am generally willing to add another lipgloss to my stash, but one should be prepared if those items don't appeal. And the small sizes shouldn't turn folks away, there is a lot of product in those tubes and bottles.

I'm loving the picks for the newest QVC NewBeauty Test Tube:

6-fl oz WEN Cleansing Conditioner

1.9-fl oz Living Proof Thickening Mousse

0.17-oz Perricone MD High Potency Eye Lift

0.15-fl oz bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss

0.01-fl oz Mally Evercolor Waterproof Eyeliner

0.11-fl oz Smileactives Tooth Whitening Pen

0.4-fl oz philosophy full of promise moisturizer

0.5-fl oz Perfect Formula Daily Moisturizer

NewBeauty magazine

With the exception of the bareMinerals lipgloss (just don't like their products), I think I'll use each one. I am particularly psyched about the Living Proof Thickening Mousse ... love this brand and their styling creams already.

The NewBeauty Test Tube for QVC is currently available for $29.96 with the option of 2 easy payments of $14.98. Don't miss out!

Sunday, January 20, 2013

The Organic & Natural Beauty Show is the first trade show in Europe purely dedicated to natural and organic beauty products from around the world. The show covers cosmetics, raw materials, ingredients and packaging, anti-aging, slimming products, nutritional supplements and vitamins. Exclusively dedicated to the natural and organic beauty industry, it offers a unique networking platform for exchanging ideas, launching new products and meeting UK and European retailers, distributors and beauty professionals.

The exhibition and conference is taking place on June 2 - 3, 2013 at Excel in London. It will attract over 12,000 professionals, 150 exhibitors and 60 speakers and will be hosting the Natural Health Beauty Awards Ceremony, one of the most eagerly anticipated events in the skincare and cosmetics industry awarding 50 organic and natural beauty products.

The Show is supported by the industry’s leading professional associations and certification bodies such as The Soil Association, CTPA, Natrue, Ecocert, Cosmebio, BDIH, Ecocontrol, ICEA, Demeter, IBD, Indocert and Ccpb.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

In Italy, “La Bella Figura” signifies a way of living that strives to always embody an authentic image, recognize elegance in simplicity, and beauty in all forms of aesthetics. La Bella Figura Beauty has incorporated that philosophy into their products to enhance the effectiveness that natural and organic ingredients are able to reserve. This is the luxury of hand blended, pure formulations made from whole plant botanicals to reveal radiant skin.

The La Bella Figura line includes oils, serums, fragrances, elixirs, facemasks, and balms.All products are handcrafted in small batches with ingredients that are fair trade, sustainable, natural, or certified organic.Founders Victoria Fantauzzi and Karen King carefully choose every ingredient — from rare oils to whole plant botanicals — based on effectiveness as well as sustainability and ecological footprint.

Cell and tissue damage leads to collagen loss and vitality in skin appearance. DailyElements Defense Oil is formulated with the most potent actives found naturally in plants to restore oxidative stress and support skin’s ability to repair, renew, and strengthen.

Key ingredients include high levels of Vitamins A and C from pure Guava seed and rosehip seed oils, collagen building squalene and linoleic acid in organic Camellia seed oil, and the richest source of omegas 3 and 6 found in Sacha Inchi oil. This essential antioxidant and nutrient dense oil is easily absorbed because of its small molecular structure, which increases circulation and draws oxygen to the skin helping to rebuild cell structure and support new cell growth from the deepest level.

Daily Elements Defense Face Oil is an active free radical fighting formula with a multitude of skin enhancing ability that delivers beautiful results. Use before and after element exposure on face, neck, and décolleté areas.

Monday, January 14, 2013

It's easy is to wear the Pantone color of the year with tarte skinny smolderEYES in rich emerald. These trimmed down skinny, waterproof liners glide on like velvet, just like you're used to with tarte's Amazonian clay waterproof liners. They are intended to last throughout the day so you don't have to worry about smudging or travelling down under eyes. These have rich, pure pigments boosted by Amazonian clay for truer, bolder color. Use the built-in smudger to soften the look. What's lovely about having the clay in the liners is that it nourishes lids, reduces surface oil and improves overall texture for easy application and better wear. What's great about this rich emerald color is it emphasizes the beauty of every eye color. Enjoy!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Pantone LLC, the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, announced PANTONE® 17-5641 Emerald, a lively, radiant, lush green as the color of the year for 2013.

The 2012 color of the year, PANTONE 17-1463 Tangerine Tango, a spirited reddish orange, provided the energy boost we needed to recharge and move forward. Emerald, a vivid verdant green, enhances our sense of well-being further by inspiring insight, as well as promoting balance and harmony.

Most often associated with brilliant, precious gemstones, the perception of Emerald is sophisticated and luxurious. Since antiquity, this luminous, magnificent hue has been the color of beauty and new life in many cultures and religions. Also the color of growth, renewal and prosperity, no other color conveys regeneration more than green. For centuries, many countries have chosen green to represent healing and unity.

“The most abundant hue in nature, the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “As it has throughout history, multifaceted Emerald continues to sparkle and fascinate. Symbolically, Emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world. This powerful and universally-appealing tone translates easily to both fashion and home interiors.”

Emerald for Fashion
The prevalence of green has been steadily rising for several seasons now, especially in the fashion and couture markets, and even on the Red Carpet. Appropriate for every occasion, Emerald’s classic elegance makes for striking and irresistible women’s formal, everyday wear and accessories. Emerald also makes a strong statement in men’s sportswear, knitwear and ties. Fashion designers featured in the PANTONE Fashion Color Report Spring 2013, including Tracy Reese, Nanette Lepore, Barbara Tfank, NAHM and Marimekko, are incorporating Emerald into their spring collections. Balanced, yet sophisticated, Emerald enlivens all colors in the spectrum and will continue to make a statement beyond spring and summer into fall and winter.

Emerald for Beauty
Equally harmonious on the cosmetic color wheel, Emerald dramatizes all eye colors as it beautifully enhances green eyes, is compatible to blue eyes, emphasizes the green undertone in hazel eyes and intensifies brown eyes to make them appear deeper. Emerald is also a perfect complement to peaches, pinks, roses, ruby reds and aubergines – offering a variety of lipstick and blush options. For those who want to sparkle and stand out, Emerald is the perfect punctuation point in nail color because of its complementary nature.

photo: Inside-Out Design Blog

Emerald for Interiors
Enhance your sense of well-being at home by rejuvenating the interior with Emerald paint, accents and accessories. This jewel-like hue will create a luxurious feel in an entryway, powder room, dining room or study, and can bring life to a living room as an accent wall. Enliven your home with bedding, pillows, bath towels and accessories in Emerald. Add a splash of color to the kitchen and dining room areas with Emerald dinnerware, stemware and appliances.

Tollens inspired by Pantone
Pantone proudly announces its new partnership in the world of home decoration with the 260 years old paint brand Tollens, a leader in the European paint industry. This partnership will give birth to an exclusive paint collection, Tollens inspired by Pantone, available throughout France in 2013.

Tollens inspired by Pantone paint collection is the new way to express the Pantone unique colour feeling in home decoration, with the highest paint quality for walls, wood and furniture. The partnership between Tollens and Pantone will take place in two steps: the launch of a 40-colours ready-mix paint collection in the Castorama DIY network in March, followed by the launch of a 100-shades colour collection in Tollens exclusive professional network in June. PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald will be the flagship colour in both collections.

“As a producer of high quality paint since 1748, Tollens was meant to meet Pantone, the world’s colour authority for nearly 50 years,” says Stephan Campion, managing director of Groupe Tollens. “This partnership creates a new expression of colour in home decoration, with a unique collection of beautiful colours in the best quality paint.”Cross-Referencing to Other PANTONE Libraries
PANTONE 17-5641 Emerald can also be cross-referenced to all other PANTONE
Libraries including PANTONE PLUS for graphic design. For cross-referencing information, see www.pantone.com/COY2013.

About the PANTONE Color of the Year
The color of the year selection is a very thoughtful process. To arrive at the selection, Pantone quite literally combs the world looking for color influences. This can include the entertainment industry and films that are in production, traveling art collections, hot new artists, popular travel destinations and other socio-economic conditions. Influences may also stem from technology, availability of new textures and effects that impact color, and even upcoming sports events that capture worldwide attention.

For more than a decade, Pantone’s Color of the Year has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including fashion, home and industrial design, as well as product packaging and graphic design.

Monday, December 3, 2012

To celebrate the NARS Andy Warhol Holiday
Collection, the beauty brand is excited to announce a Facebook experience to
help fans achieve their very own “15 minutes” of fame.Each day for 15 days, NARS Facebook followers
will have the chance to win a set of limited edition prizes from the
collection.

This is delicious indeed for all of us who adore NARS ...

HOW IT WORKS:

For 15 days in December (beginning December 42012), NARS
will post a question inspired by Andy Warhol on its Facebook wall at 12pm EST.
Followers will have exactly 15 minutes to post their most creative answer in
the comments. One winner will be selected each day. Winners will receive the
Beautiful Darling, Edie and Silver Factory gift sets (total retail value: $324).

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

My favorite time of year ... Fall!
Fall is finally here and it’s time to indulge in the season. The colors of the leaves and the cool brisk air are the not the only things changing, some great seasonal fruits and veggies are in season and are loaded with a variety of beautifying nutrients! Celebrity nutritionist and author ofThe Beauty Detox Solution, Kimberly Snyder breaks down three of the best and most colorful fall foods for the season.

SWEET POTATOES: Sweet potatoes contain the skin-brightening combination of vitamin A and vitamin C. Together, these nutrients help replace a dull complexion with a fresh face, while working to neutralize cell tissue-damaging free radicals.

Sweet potatoes’ brilliant orange color is attributed to their high levels of carotenoids and beta-carotene, which convert into vitamin A. Vitamin A is necessary for a shiny, well-moisturized head of hair as well as promoting a healthy scalp, which is essential for healthy hair growth.

Sweet potatoes are also rich in biotin, and vitamins B2, B6 and E. They supply a healthy source of iron, potassium, which help keep the right fluid balance throughout the body’s cells, along with copper, manganese and folate, which is especially important for pregnant women.

Choose sweet potatoes that have the deepest orange colors, which indicate the higher carotene content. Be sure to eat them with the skin on, which contains a high amount of fiber and nutrients.

﻿

SQUASH:Fall and winter squash varieties have less water content than summer squash, and therefore provide more nutritional and beauty benefits. These varieties include pumpkin, acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash. With its brilliant colors, squash provides an excellent source of carotenes, and a good source of vitamins B1, B6 and C, folic acid, pantothenic acid, fiber, and potassium.

The B vitamins it contains are helpful in reversing the damaging effects of stress on the body, which may contribute to aging faster, and its vitamin C has a collagen-repairing affect on the skin. Squash also contains coumarins, which works with other nutrients to create a blood-thinning effect in the body, which is great to increase circulation, which is beneficial for glowing skin.

APPLES: Pectin is the type of fiber found in apples, which makes up 75% of the apple’s fiber. While other fruits contain pectin, it is found in the highest concentration of all fruits in apple. Pectin comes in both a soluble and insoluble fiber form. Apple pectin is a helpful detoxifier, as it has been reported to bind to and eliminating toxic metals from the body, and keeps your system clean, which contributed to higher natural beauty. It may help prevent DNA damage by free radicals by acting as an antioxidant.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Their iconic short films are as creatively genius as the products and fashions themselves. Each has its own tale, its own style, its own star! As big as the celebrity may be who graces the film, the STAR is always Chanel.

A legendary bottle, its very own signature. An abstract fragrance with visionary composition that breaks with the times. One name, one number. And for the first time, the perspective of a man – Brad Pitt – on the most feminine fragrance of all time: CHANEL N°5
﻿

For many, CHANEL N°5 is an icon. For others, the best-selling fragrance evokes the eternal woman. For Joe Wright, the director of the new advertising campaign for N°5, the scent is "a phenomenon that continues to invent and reinvent itself." Case in point: the unexpected decision to sign Brad Pitt as the face of N°5. The actor follows in the footsteps of Coco Chanel, Marilyn Monroe, Catherine Deneuve, Lauren Hutton, Nicole Kidman and Audrey Tautou, and represents a first in the world of women's fragrance, just as N°5 marked a first in 1921 with its radical and intoxicating mix of 80 ingredients.

“What’s important to remember about CHANEL N°5 is how revolutionary this fragrance is;
when it was introduced, it broke all the rules,” says Pitt. “N°5 has always
been the most iconic women’s fragrance. That’s what I see being the appeal of
this campaign; it goes beyond the abstract of emotion or beauty to evoke what
is timeless: a woman’s spirit.”
Blessed with legendary talent, fame and looks, no actor compares to Brad Pitt.

For the first time ~ Inside Chanel N°5 --must see!﻿

Of course, the same could be said of N°5. Created by Ernest Beaux, the perfumer of the last Russian Czar and CHANEL’s first Master Perfumer, the fragrance is beloved around the world. The campaign views the fragrance through the eyes of a man and fits in with the “revolutionary” reputation of N°5, which broke down barriers, as well as Coco
Chanel, a woman who dared to be different.
For the shoot, CHANEL hired Film Director Joe Wright, who is known for his movies Pride and Prejudice, Atonement
and the upcoming Anna Karenina, plus
his two Coco Mademoiselle commercials starring Keira Knightley. Wright was
commissioned to direct several commercial films for N°5, which capture the
memories, thoughts and dreams of a man being seduced by a fragrance. “Each
resembles a short poem,” the 40-year-old director says.

click to enlarge; photos by: Sam Taylor-Wood﻿

The film is an ode to the scent. Filmed in black and white on a stark back­ground,
Pitt speaks every line directly into the camera. “I don't see why perfume commercials shouldn't
be moving,” offers Wright. The emotion comes from Pitt’s voice, which Wright
describes as being “beautiful” and “a great American voice.”Adds Wright: “There are lots of handsome men
around but it's his soul that comes out in his voice. It gets under your skin.”
The intimate approach – the antithesis of today's dense, complicated commercial narratives – was inspired by the classic N°5 advertisements from the late sixties, featuring Catherine Deneuve. “I really admired the simplicity of the Deneuve ads,” reveals Wright. “When you have Deneuve or Pitt, why would you need to decorate that? It would be like gilding the lily. I wanted to create something incredibly simple and
strong that really focused on the performance.”

In order to prepare Pitt, Wright encouraged the actor to think about N°5 in a personal way. “We never discussed it in intellectual terms,” Wright says. “We discussed what N°5 meant to us. I wanted to ground it in a real, emotional context.”
For the campaign, Wright's main
goal was to capture the global element of N°5 and illuminate how it stands as a
pervasive force throughout the world. “I found it touching that women in every
country have had a relationship with N°5, and I wanted to do something about
that,” he says.

Chanel is available at fine retailers and directly through Chanel. Click image above for Chanel website.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

NARS Cosmetics’ Founder and Creative Director, François Nars, will be making a personal appearance in New York City this week.

Want to meet the legend? Here are the deets:

Location: Sephora Union Square

Date:Thursday, October 4th

Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. EST

Event: Come celebrate the new NARS Andy Warhol collection. Stop by to discover your own inner icon with Pop Art-inspired looks designed by Mr. Nars exclusively for Sephora. In addition, NARS artists will be on-hand for consultation.